| The Correct Seat: A Foundation Upon Which All Training is Built Lisa Wilcox and Ernst Hoyos USDF Convention Lecture/Video December 5, 2003 Lisa said that her training remains detailed. She still has to pay attention to the small things, that this type of work never stops, and that she still has to keep her “nose to the grindstone.” She rides with Ernst for several hours a day, essentially in a lesson format, and then rides on her own the rest, as if Ernst were still there working with her. She very generously brought video of some of her lessons with Ernst, so that she could show us that she still has to focus on her seat, her hands, and the use of her aids as she works through the training of her various horses—that she can never stop focusing on improving herself as a rider while she is also focusing on improving her horses. The first horse she showed us was a young one, just coming 4 by Deniro out of a Rohdiamant mare, that they had purchased at Vechta. They were still working to establish a consistent connection with him. It began with Ernst asking Lisa to establish a forward, but longer connection. Lisa said they always worked their horses on the 2nd track, never allowing the horse to rely on the well because working in them in this fashion helped the horse to develop straightness. She also said that the horse was ridden without spurs to help the horse to accept the leg and not block against it. Ernst was repeatedly asking Lisa to step into her inside stirrup (Lisa clarified that by “step” that was down into her heel with a relaxed ankle, and not onto her toe, so that she was able to maintain a long leg and deep seat) to facilitate the horse’s bend, and carry her hands straight with a straight line from bit to elbow, keeping her heels down and not bending the horse’s head back and forth. Ernst interjected here (with Lisa translating) that Lisa still has to pay attention to these minor things daily. Habits can creep up on even the top riders in the world, if she isn’t paying attention. Not one of us is immune, and we must be ever vigilant! The hind legs must step into the front footprints, and the hands must stay low. Lisa had to take care with the transition into canter that nothing changed. She needed to stay passive in her seat, and in rhythm with the horse. When the transition was not correct, Lisa said it was VERY IMPORTANT AT THIS AGE TO GO BACK AND CORRECT MISTAKES even if it takes a long time. Through the lightness of the riding style, she is helping the horse to find his balance. It is by technique, and not by strength. The rider must stay light and quiet. They want to soften the horse in his topline in a slow rhythm, not chasing the horse. Once he has found his balance, they can then increase the tempo and move on. Lisa corrected the trot to canter transition several times. Lisa said that even at this young age—especially at this young age—it is important to start correctly. It makes the later work much easier. Increased weight in the inside stirrup supports the lateral bend. Shortening the reins once the horse has warmed up, Lisa started increasing the demand for lateral bend by riding serpentines. Maintaining the rhythm was part of the test. The poll should remain quiet. Ernst urged her to ask for the new bend at the center-line. Once the horse was supple, they started playing with the “idea” of lengthening the stride in canter. A horse this young doesn’t have the strength in his back or balance for true lengthening. She used her seat and legs to push the horse into a quiet/stationary hand to get him to come up in the poll, using her inside ring finger in millimeter work to ask him to soften. Using it quickly softly got a better result. Lisa said you have to be honest with yourself about what you’re feeling, and what your horse is feeling. The Spanish Riding School (where Ernst trained) uses no spurs until the lateral work to keep the horse honest to the seat and leg aids. “Then again, this is a very good horse…a gelding, not a stallion.” If we don’t teach young horses correctness now, problems will haunt them the rest of their career. In this horse, there were some problems with the trot-walk transitions. If a horse goes against the hand or doesn’t relax and follow the bit, these are signs that the horse is not finished and needs more time—that he cannot move forward. These need to be corrected, or they will haunt you all the way to Grand Prix. These are basic building blocks that must be corrected now. Sitting vs. rising trot depends on the horse. If the horse allows you, you can sit even on a young horse. If the horse does not swing and take the weight, the rider must rise. This horse allowed Lisa to sit. The goal is for the rider to sit, but the rider must be sensitive to the horse and not sit if the horse is not free/swinging through the back. Lungework gets the horse in condition, too, but make sure you don’t get too much condition on the horse. It is also easier to straighten a horse from the back. The second video Lisa showed was of Royal Diamond, who is Rubenstein/Inschallah and a full brother to Rohdiamant. Royal Diamond is learning his rhythm in the Passage, and Lisa’s body very much influences whether Royal Diamond has rhythm or not. When Lisa rides RD, the instructions from Ernst come faster, and the tone is more insistent. The attention to the small details of Lisa’s hands, seat, aids continues. Lisa has to be able to correct herself from within a half pass without losing the rhythm/impulsion/fluidity of the half pass. Lisa says that her hands cannot move, and that this was a vital skill for her to learn. “Slower, correct with the hands almost in slow motion,” Ernst says. Ernst’s instructions are this detailed, even for Lisa riding her Grand Prix horse. Lisa again points out that this attention to detail is critical day in/day out for her success. Lisa says that constant rhythmical work at home is needed for schooling. She doesn’t ask for the “something extra” that gets the big scores for gaits until 1 – 1 1/2 weeks before a show. Schooling in this manner is better for maintaining longterm soundness. Lisa emphasizes: don’t ask for highpower every day—it will only make the horse sour. You need to keep the horse happy so that they WANT to come out and work for you. In the changes, Lisa pushes with the knee and not with the spur. The spur, she says, takes the knee away from the horse, loosening the connection and allows the horse to swing in the changes. Stay long, she says: leg open, move back, push with the knee is Ernst’s preferred method to keep the horse jumping narrow and straight. What you see at a horse show—the harmony/fluidity is a result of this kind of work at home. Not every day is this difficult, but you have to be critical, stay this critical with yourself. Return to USDF Convention Table of Contents. |
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